This topic is what really defined September of 2015 for me. Was I gonna work more in the hospitality industry I enjoy or strive to obtain a degree in teaching and education that I had no real intention of using and pursued for security reasons. That's almost rhetorical.
Besides that, my life has generally been very quiet and hardly out of the ordinary. My health situation is improving (albeit very slowly). University was a drag, but stable. I've been working almost entirely night shifts, which has dramatically changed my pattern of sleep to one where 1:30am is still reasonably early in the night, and despite the potential hilarity in that statement I actually prefer it. I read my film books, I did some of my exercises, I hung out with friends and I bought DVDs. Perhaps someday I'll be able to find the motivation to make posts on here more regularly, and in doing so talk about these personal experience if for the means of expressing myself and getting it out of the system alone.
In September, I saw 18 movies. It's not all that large, but not all that small either.
1. Fist of Fury (1972)
– 8.5/10
During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, a skilled
apprentice martial artist investigates the murder of his master. When “The Big
Boss” only offered a glimpse of what was to come, our hopes were finally
realized in “Fist of Fury” aka “The Chinese Connection”. It’s a wildly
thrilling kung fu movie that utilises (though without a great deal of
exploration) the historic hostility between China and Japan. While Bruce Lee
may never have been an extraordinary actor per se, his ability to portray a
believable character is incomparable to his out-of-this-world gift in
athletics. You’re constantly finding yourself wowing in astonishment and
viscerally cringing over this film’s numerous well-choreographed fight scenes.
Regarding story, “Fist of Fury” offers a mixed bag. That including a revenge
tale, a mystery and an exploration into the ethics, values and ways of life of
tight-knit kung fu schools.
2. The Chronicles
of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) – 7.5/10
The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia and find centuries
have passed. They engage in a conflict against a corrupt king that has seized
control of the land to replace him with the throne’s true heir, Prince Caspian.
Notably, I did like it less than the first film, but for what it is, “Prince
Caspian” is a fair and enjoyable sequel. The overall approach in writing and
the act of making the film is faithful to the family-friendly, but still
reasonably serious predecessor from 2005. Its imagination is seemingly infinite
albeit it steers too closely to fantasy-genre norms, and it has an epic quality
that mimics that of some of the other successful big-budget movies of the years
prior. My main issue though is one with the writing. It really does very little
with the presence of the Pevensie siblings and I found myself far more drawn
into the plights of new characters. It feels as though all the potential
development of these characters was accomplished in the previous film and their
role this time around is somewhat overestimated. Nevertheless, the balance
between a Caspian focus and a Pevensie focus is sound, and for what it’s worth
it is a fun watch.
3. The Yakuza
(1974) – 8.5/10
A former detective is hired by a friend to rescue his
teenage daughter who has been abducted by the Yakuza, and finds himself having
to confront his own past in Japan. It should come as no surprise that “The
Yakuza” is a great film having both the directing credit of Sydney Pollack and
a script co-written by master screenwriters, Robert Towne (Chinatown) and Paul
Schrader (Taxi Driver). The film is very much a Westernised introduction to a
genre that was already popular in Japan, but it isn’t overly reliant on that
fact. It combines noir-style mystery, violence bordering on that of a
grindhouse movie and draws parallels between the cultural customs of the United
States and Japan. All the real drama of “The Yakuza” is sourced in Robert
Mitchum’s character, Harry Kilmer, whose joint-dilemma of a past love and
battle with organised crime fuel both suspense and transformation.
4. Tokyo Gore
Police (2008) – 7.5/10
In a future Japan where the police force has become a
privatized militaristic organisation that executes criminals, a vengeful
policewoman looks into the emergence of a mutant criminal circle. I find it
call “Tokyo Gore Police” a ‘style-over-substance’ picture. There’s no doubt it
places enormous importance on its unique use of violence, but it doesn’t fail
as a story either. It just doesn’t balance them out very well and feels so
uneven. As you might guess from its descriptive title, the violence is so over
the top and manages to be disturbing, comedic and even slightly pornographic
all at once. Underneath all the red pools, you do have statements on police
brutality, the acceptance of violence as part of social norms, vigilantism and
a potentially great vengeance tale. The problem is it never gets the
exploration or emphasis it deserves and really gets itself a bit lost in its
stylized gore. There are seeds of brilliance in this film, but what we get is
something that shocks more than it spurs our thinking. Either way, it really
has to be seen to be believed and should be appreciated for what it is.
A washed-up Broadway actor once famed for playing the
superhero Birdman contends with both his past and current life while producing
a theatre adaptation of a Raymond Carver story. The Best Picture winner of 2014
perfectly reflects what should be prestigious about such an award as a film.
“Birdman” is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. It’s a film that constantly
tosses questions in front of us that are more rhetorical than anything else. What
does it mean to be famous, and more importantly, what does it do for us? What
does it mean to be an artist? What does it mean to really find fulfilment in
our lives and to understand our purpose? This movie approaches all of this in
such a way that there’s no clear answer and that it’s all up to our own
interpretations we base on our own experiences, just as Riggan does. There’s
something amazingly sentimental about casting Michael Keaton in this role. It’s
almost like the completion of unfinished businesses in the Batman star’s
career, and he puts his all in. Through the combination of shooting in what is
effectively real-time, the various visual clues and the embodiment of Riggan’s
ego through his former Birdman character, we get a great sense of this character’s
inner workings through mostly external means. His disappointments, strives for
greatness and battles with his own mind. A great technical showcase, very
experimental and riveting, I recommend it so highly, but also urge for one to
have a bit of an open mind.
Over the course of New Year’s Eve, a hotel bellhop’s
first night on the job turns into chaos when he engages a series of bizarre
guests and scenarios. For a movie that was put together by the collective
efforts of an ensemble of directors rather than one filmmaker’s standalone
vision, “Four Rooms” is as cohesive as it is wildly fun in its randomness. Tim
Roth’s performance as Ted is simply awesome. While it is excessively
over-the-top, there’s a real sinister vibe underneath and you get an
uncomfortable feeling that he’s not quite stable. The individual segments of
“Four Rooms” can be enjoyed both on their own and as part of a bigger picture.
What I really love is the mixture of genres throughout, from comedy to slight touches
on thriller and fantasy, and the consistent craziness among its cast of
characters. It’s especially relatable to the reality of working in a service
job where you meet unusual people that you’d never expect to come across. While
Anders, Rockwell and Tarantino all direct fabulously on their individual
segments, my favourite would easily be Robert Rodriguez’s “The Misbehavers”.
7. Fifty Shades of
Grey (2015) – 4/10
Literature student Anastasia Steele finds herself drawn
into the erotic secret life of young billionaire Christian Grey. How this film
and the book it was based on turned into a phenomenon is beyond me. It fails as
both a romance and an exploration into the BDSM lifestyle. Starting off, the
two leads, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan have little to no chemistry and this
results in a total lack of emotional investment during the more sour sides of
their affair. The characters themselves are also bland. Anastasia is totally
without any personality and acts more like a Bella Swan-style blank canvas for
impressionable audiences to fill in the gaps with their own imagination. As for
Grey, there’s an inevitable curiosity about him that’s never satisfied and I
couldn’t help but look at him as anything else but a possessive monster as
opposed to a tortured soul. What else? The dialogue is flat and lifeless and
the sex scenes are gratuitous and only very occasionally have a real sexual
tension. Worst crime of all however has to be the missed opportunity. This
could have been a unique exploration of BDSM relationships, but it’s held back
by a tameness for mass appeal and falls into romantic clichés at every corner.
8. Straight Outta
Compton (2015) – 8.5/10
The story of America’s most dangerous music group, NWA,
beginning at their roots in the streets of Compton, LA up to their rise in
popularity, dissolution and the breakdown of relationships that followed. I had
wished they would make a biopic about Eazy-E or any of the other members of NWA
some years ago, and today it finally came true. “Straight Outta Compton” excels
in showcasing both a love for this rap group’s music, but also the ugly truths
and stories underneath it. The casting was absolutely nailed. It was as though
actors were not in the picture, but rather the real life members of NWA were
starring in their own movie. It’s that sharp. O’Shea Jackson Jr (Ice Cube’s
real-life son), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) and Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) are
especially brilliant. There’s a real transcendental factor to these people when
they cease to be just rap artists and Compton hoodlums, and are shown to be
genuine people with their own flaws, their own prowess and how it impacts
relationships with one another. Furthermore, I love how the film captured the
mood of the lower-class end of America in the 80s and early 90s, making
specific reference to events such as Rodney King’s beating and the subsequent
riots it spurred. What’s more? You’ll hear several of NWA’s songs and be
enjoying the ferocity of the music alone, but with an emotional edge like this
you’re in for a great time whether or not you’re actually a fan.
9. Strike (1925) –
6/10
In Czarist Russia, a team of factory workers start
striking against the manager in response to an injustice against one of their
own, leading to the local police being called to quell the uprising. Sergei M
Eisenstein’s distinctive style was brought to the table in this, his first
feature film, but inevitably it feels all too much like a dress rehearsal for
the masterwork “Battleship Potemkin” that followed shortly after. As a
propaganda piece, it hardly touches on the actual ideologies of the Bolsheviks,
but rather works through presenting things in a one-sided manner. The working
class replace any central characters who we’d otherwise identify with on
emotional grounds, whilst the factory owners and Czarist officials are
portrayed as gluttonous and corrupt, almost to the point of comedy. As dated as
the film’s techniques and message are, it’s hard to not find a love in
Eisenstein’s breakdown of a larger story into episodic montages complimented by
ambient music.
A girl with a magic crystal being pursued by both pirates
and government agents meets a young boy, and together they race to find a
legendary floating castle from a past civilisation before their enemies.
Officially the first film to be produced by the consistently amazing Studio
Ghibli in my opinion pales in comparison to some later releases, but in saying
that it’s just as magical as anything else they’ve made. I feel that some of
the character development was limited, particularly that of Puza and Muska, who
honestly resemble hundreds of hero/villain characters we’ve seen before. Where
it does succeed though is in its creativity and imagination. It blends a
fantasy world with our own, incorporates mythology relevant to any cultural
setting and boasts a soundtrack that is both beautiful and energetic.
In 1944, a US Army Major known to have a problem with his
attitude among his colleagues is tasked to train a dozen convicted felons for
an assassination mission. “The Dirty Dozen” is a wildly fun war film and past
its generally good-hearted nature poses the question of whether or not
criminals can be truly rehabilitated. In doing so, it proposes its own answer.
Lee Marvin’s performance as Reisman is charismatic and hilarious at the same
time. What’s arguably more compelling though is the changes that occur between
the crooks-turned-soldiers. What you would initially perceive to be a gang of
unlikable miscreants transforms into a cohesive unit bound by loyalty and a
mutual goal. Although the ‘real’ drama of “The Dirty Dozen” starts very late,
spending time with the likes of these characters truly binds you into the same
chains they’re in.
After his partner is killed by a psychotic drug kingpin
from his youth, a New York cop seeks both vengeance and for the motive of the
shooting. Hardly distinct in any manner, and very much as silly as anything
else Steven Seagal starred in around this time, it fortunately thrills in the
same manner. Seagal’s performance is more wooden in comparison to his work in
“Under Siege” and “Above The Law”, and character development is hardly worth
mentioning. Speaking honestly, its premise is actually very basic and it hits
the right notes where it needs to. The film’s pacing is excitingly rapid, the
action alternates between varying degrees of intensely violent and laughably
over-the-top. “Out For Justice” is a real case of not asking for much and
receiving exactly that, for myself at least.
A few years after the success of the Civil Rights
movement, one of the first racially-diverse high school gridiron teams is
formed, and a new coach is tasked with training them to work together. As much
as it follows a basic crowd-pleasing formula like a dog on a leash, “Remember
the Titans” fortunately does those things very well. It doesn’t stand out among
live-action Disney movies, but comfortably sits among the better examples. The
film boasts terrific performances by several leads, notably Denzel Washington.
It acts as somewhat of a metaphor for American society at the time. The civil
rights laws have passed, but attitudes have not followed in the same swift
manner. What it does encourage is the very overdone, but immensely important
issue of racial cohesion in our world. As I don’t normally care for sport very
much, I found myself drawn into the Titans’ pursuits for greatness out of what
they stood for as members of their Virginian community. It’s predictable and
really wants to be among the list of the greatest inspirational movies, and
it’s entertaining all the way.
14. Dead Snow
(2009) – 8/10
In the icy mountains of the Norwegian wild, a group of
medical students retreat for a weekend of relaxation and find themselves
fighting for survival against a horde of Nazi zombies. This little Norwegian
horror gem offers far more entertainment than any “Call of Duty” video game
ever could. “Dead Snow” is wildly fun for its hilarity and lack of inhibition
towards being provocative. Starting off, the balance between comedy and horror
is nearing that of perfection. While I do prefer a more straight-forward horror
approach, there’s a light-heartedness about it in this film that consistently
reminds you not to take it seriously. The cast performs fairly okay, and the
characters mostly have enough personality to distinguish themselves from one
another, but they’re really not our attraction. The gore effects are
marvellous, and subtly alternate between that of a sadist, and of a comedian
working alongside an effects team. It’s bordering on an early Peter Jackson
feel. The nods to horror movies of the past and present exemplify
writer-director Tommy Wirkola’s undeniable appreciation for this genre. Whether
we’re talking about “The Hills Have Eyes”, “The Evil Dead” or “Shawn of the
Dead”, you’ll see he’s drawing on countless great influences. It might be easy
to mount criticism as this film’s overwhelming camp qualities, but when dealing
with something as bizarre as Nazi zombies, I consider it essential.
15. Bullitt (1968)
– 8/10
After the murder of a witness he was tasked to protect, a
San Francisco detective launches an investigation after the fact and uncovers a
conspiracy involving a shady politician and the mob. “Bullitt” is but one of
the many great examples that demonstrate Hollywood’s shift from movies that
were more out-of-this-world or hyperbolic to one that showcase a gritty
realism. Steve McQueen is fantastic as the title character, Frank Bullitt. He
brilliantly portrays a character with both a glaring cynicism towards the
corruption in the world he occupies, while ironically signifying how much of it
has made him into the man he is. The film is widely remembered for featuring a
vigorous car chase sequence praised for both its rapid use of visual techniques
hardly seen prior, and the stakes in story behind it. As thrilling as it is, I
feel that focusing on it as the highlight pushes the mystery that makes up
everything else out of the spotlight. It offers an undeniable moment of
fast-paced excitement that perfectly contrasts with the story’s descent into
the darker side of a seemingly honourable side of society.
16. Mississippi
Burning (1988) – 8.5/10
After the murder of a group of civil rights activists,
two FBI agents arrive in Mississippi and find their investigation turning into
a media frenzy following the discoveries that implicate the local police’s
involvement with the KKK. “Mississippi Burning” is a wonderful crime film that
provides an unhindered depiction of the more tragic aspects of the 1960s civil
rights movement. The Deep South of this time proves to be another planet within
the United States, where racial segregation is seen as an essential part of the
region’s social structure and bigotry is to be celebrated. The antagonists
played by the likes of Brad Dourif and R Lee Ermey are inexpressibly disgusting
people due to their pride in their hatred towards blacks. As these backwards
attitudes are demonstrated through character action, as an audience we’re
pushed in the protagonists’ strive for a conviction. Where the film succeeds
the most though is in its leads. Ward (Willem Dafoe) represents the progressive
attitudes of the 1960s youth and a very by-the-books approach to work, whilst
Anderson (Gene Hackman) is a pragmatic, but sensible conservative thinker. The
conflict between these two is metaphorical of the relationship between the
changes occurring in America and the backlash. The film’s sense of realism and
dramatic intensity are stylishly heightened through the use of journalism-style
film techniques and church choirs as a soundtrack.
Brian and Dominic reassemble their crew to take down a
team of mercenaries in Europe in exchange for a full pardon of their criminal
history, and in the process encounter Dominic’s presumed-dead girlfriend,
Letty. It’s definitely not my favourite instalment of the series, but I do
appreciate that it’s keeping in line with the consistency this series
established far too late. The more shallow qualities that were concrete in
style for the earlier sequels are played down in favour of an evident desire to
be a turbo-charged thriller with some fast cars in there. It seems though, that
with a decisive ending for “Fast Five”, this follow-up occasionally has to
double-back on what was established in previous instalments for the sake of
creating plot devices (namely the return of Letty, which I felt was very contrived
when I got past all the sentimentality). Generally, it just feels like a less
well-cooked version of “Fast Five”. It wants to be the same movie, but is
forced to work with fewer stakes. Nevertheless, its action sequences are top-of-the-line
and the ending is satisfying.
18. Malcolm (1986)
– 8/10
After losing his job, a socially awkward mechanical
genius turns to a life of crime after he lets two crooks to move in with him.
“Malcolm” is a wonderful feel-good movie, and for innumerable reasons deserves
to be remembered as one of the great comedies of Australian cinema. It’s all
rooted in character. The film itself is generally pretty uneventful and
features several scenes that seemingly go nowhere, but the unconventional
humour and motley trio of leads really make it work wonders. Malcolm (played by
Colin Friels) is like a weird fusion between Raymond Babbitt (“Rain Man”) and
Pee-Wee Herman. His reserved nature and innocence is levelled only by his
creativity. No matter how many bad things he finds himself a part of, you can’t
help but love him and root for him in every misadventure. The film is hilarious
as well, and had me laughing at both its baffling prop-based jokes and the
manic behaviour of its characters. If you aren’t versed in Australian cinema,
or haven’t seen many pleasing examples, I really would recommend “Malcolm” very
highly just for its good mood-inducing nature.
My Top 10 Movies For September 2015:
1. Birdman:
Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2. Mississippi
Burning
3. Straight
Outta Compton
4. The
Yakuza
5. Fist
of Fury
6. Four
Rooms
7. The
Dirty Dozen
8. Remember
the Titans
9. Dead
Snow
10. Malcolm
Lowest Rated: Fifty Shades of Grey
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